Improvement in carriage-tops



U EI ED STATES HENRY sAvLEn, OF M. PARIS, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT lN CARRIAGE-TOPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,704, dated November18, 1873; application filed October 21, 1873. k

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SAYLER, of St. Paris, in the county ofOhampaign and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements inCarriage-Tops, of which the following is a specification My inventionconsists of a lever arranged in connection with the shifting-rail andbraces of a carriage-top in such a manner that the cover can be raisedor lowered by the occupant of the carriage, and the top with itsappliances can be removed bodily, the same as the ordinary shifting topcan, all as hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shiftingrail. Fig. 2 representsthe same with my improvements applied, showing the cover down; and Fig.3, the same with the cover raised.

As carriagetops are ordinarily constructed, it is diflicult for theoccupant to raise or lower the cover without getting out, or at leaststopping the carriage.

In applying my improvements, I construct the shifting-rail A in theusual style, except that I make it wider, so as to form in each side,close to the back, a hole, b, as shown in Fig. 1, though these holes maybe made in ears projecting from the rail, which, in that case, may bemade narrower, and, if preferred, round instead of fiat. The bows D, ofwhich only one is shown in the drawing, are attached to the rail A, inthe usual manner, and provided with the usual jointed braces E. Iprovide a rod, B, which I insert loosely in the holes b of the rail A,close to and parallel with the back part of said rail, having its endsextending a short distance outside of the rail, as represented in Fig.1, the outer ends being formed with a square shank, on which is firmlysecured the lower end of the jointed braces E, in such a way that byturning the rod B the lower part of the braces E will be movedtherewith, and thus raise or lower the bow D, to which their oppo-" derit secure and rigid. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this lever G isconnected to the rod B, just inside the side arm of the rail A, so thatit will be close to one end of the seat, where it can be readilyoperated by a person sitting on the seat, and be outof the way. It is,however, obvious that it may be arranged outside of the cover, andoperate in the same manner; but that would not be so convenient, and Itherefore prefer to arrange it as shown.

When it is desired to lower the cover, it is only necessary to take holdof the lever C and turn it up, as represented in Fig. 2; and to raisethe cover, it is simply turned down, as in Fig. 3, thus affording a mostconvenient and 1 ready means of raising or lowering the cover bodilywithout detaching the lever and rod from the cover, and with no moretrouble than .is required with the shifting top in ordinary use, andwhich has no such appliances. My

improvements can be applied to the ordinary shifting top by simplyattaching to the rail ears'or bearings for the rod B, and securing thelower end of the joint-braces to the ends of the rod.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The rod B, providedwith the lever C, and

having the braces E rigidly attached thereto, in combination with theshifting-rail A of a carriagetop, all constructed to operatesubstantially as described.

HENRY SAYLER. Witnesses:

D. B. TAYLOR, J oHN J. MUssoN.

PATENT OEEIoE.

